


i will be the one who loves you (til the end of time)

by AmyDancepantsPeralta



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Father's Day, Gen, Some Mac Cuteness, belated Father's Day fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:08:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26323162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmyDancepantsPeralta/pseuds/AmyDancepantsPeralta
Summary: There was a time when he would have spent forever standing in front of displays just like this; trying to pick just the right one to send to his own father … a time when he truly believed that if hejustmanaged to find the perfect card, this time Roger would make more of an effort to see him, andmaybeone day he’d even move back in so that things could go back to normal.
Relationships: Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago
Comments: 24
Kudos: 71





	i will be the one who loves you (til the end of time)

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so I was barrelling towards a wall of Writer's Block when I decided to distract my mind by starting something else, and this fell out ... I'm posting late under the technicality that it is Father's Day today where I am! (I've decided it counts and I stand by it!)

**i will be the one who loves you (til the end of time)**

The blissful aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills Jake Peralta’s senses as he takes a much-needed sip, his feet shuffling uncomfortably in front of the plastic stand as he waits semi-patiently for Amy to make a decision. 

She’d cast Jake away at first; sending him on a mission to the other side of the store armed with an overlong and itemised list of necessary items.But - partly due to the efficiency of Amy’s list, and partly because Jake simply found himself gravitating back towards his wife and child - it had taken him far less time than Amy planned, and after a few minutes he had managed to locate them in front of the Father’s Day section of the greeting card aisle. 

Listening to Amy mutter _this one might be a good option_ from beside him _,_ Jake’s gaze flits over the coloured rectangles, staring blankly at the blues and greys and greens (you know, all the supposedly ‘masculine’ colours of the greeting card world) as the words _Best Dad Ever_ and _Father Of The Year_ jump out from the display.There was a time when he would have spent forever standing in front of displays just like this; trying to pick just the right one to send to his own father … a time when he truly believed that if he _just_ managed to find the _perfect_ card, this time Roger would make more of an effort to see him, and maybe one day he’d even move back in so that things could go back to normal. 

It took far too many vague acknowledgments, and the occasional ‘Return To Sender: Not At This Address’ before Jake finally got the hint and simply stopped trying.For the longest time, Father’s Day had merely become a non-event in his world - just another Sunday at worst, and at best a timely reminder that he probably needed to stock up on socks and jocks.It felt foreign for him to be standing in front of such a wall of sentimentality now, like a fish far from water, and even though Jake knows that he and Amy have already organised to visit Roger (and Karen) next weekend, he still can’t bring himself to see the cards in front of him as anything other than unnecessary. 

(After all, despite his best investigation into the options before him, Jake still hasn’t been able to find a card that quite encompasses the ‘ _thanks for all the abandonment/patriarchal issues you’ve given me but it’s cool that we’re kinda hanging out now’_ theme he had in mind.)

Clearing his throat, Jake takes another sip of java; squatting down to check on the status of his sleeping son, tucked safely away from the flickering fluorescent lights in the stroller Amy picked out.Evidently, it appeared that Mac felt a stroller at 10am in the middle of a department store was a _way_ better option for Snoozeville than his parent’s preference - aka the entire night, snuggled in to the crib that only a few months ago Jake had spent an entire afternoon (and a couple of swear words) putting together. 

Nudging the edge of the blanket down slightly, he traces an outline of one of the sheep on Mac’s onesie before leaving a gentle _boop_ against his tiny nose.Despite the never-ending tiredness - and the burgeoning ache in his lower back - it only takes one glance at his son for Jake to know he would go through a thousand more sleepless nights, if it meant a lifetime of Mac snuggles.Regardless of all the fears and doubts that had run on a loop in the back of his mind during Amy’s entire pregnancy, time had taught Jake that when it comes to being a father, nothing has ever felt quite as natural to him. 

(Save, perhaps, for the first time he’d kissed Amy.)

(And every time he’d kissed her _since_ then, for that matter.He thinks, perhaps, that she is the key to all the Good Things in his world.)

Mac’s tiny mouth wriggles in response to Jake’s touch, the soft snuffling sound that escapes only noticeable by Jake because of his proximity.Gently, he runs the tip of his finger against Mac’s hairline - it’s a move that he’d picked up from Amy that has definitely worked to soothe his son in the past, and any opportunity to not have a crying infant in the middle of a department store is an opportunity he’ll take - and the snuffles fade before they can turn into anything more. 

“You, me, and Mommy, bud.We make a pretty amazing team, don’t we?”Keeping his voice soft, Jake glances at Amy before looking back at his son.“We’re always going to be here for you. _I’m_ always going to be here for you.No matter what.Nothing is ever going to take me away from you or your mother, McClane.Ever.” 

Watching as Mac’s impossibly tiny eyelashes flutter against his cheeks, his son clearly in Dream Land, Jake shakes his head at the sheer insanity of a Peralta Curse pulling him away from this perfectly tiny human.He knows - knew from the moment Mac’s hand wrapped around his finger for the very first time - that he would move heaven and earth before anything like that could even _begin_ to take place.

Straightening up, Jake runs his free hand through his definitely-needs-a-brush hair, wincing as he notices the sheer concentration on his wife’s face as she scans the interior contents of an oversized novelty card, the beer bottles on the outside puffed up to appear semi-realistic.Even though he loved her intentions, a whole day of celebrating fatherhood still felt a little foreign to him, and he moves to stand beside her. 

“You know, we really don’t need to do all this, Ames.” 

The edge of Amy’s ponytail whips onto her opposite shoulder when she whirls her head towards Jake, and incredulous look growing on her face as she dumps the card back on the shelf.“Are you kidding me?This is going to be your first official father’s day, babe.Of course we’re going to do something.”Leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek, she strokes the outside of Jake’s upper arm as she continues.“Besides, Mac _told_ me that he wanted to get you something special for being _such_ an amazing daddy.”

Glancing down at the stroller; Jake lifts the turtle printed muslin wrap that he had draped across the front, reconfirming his earlier suspicions that Mac was still, in fact, a sleeping baby, and turns back towards Amy with a singularly raised eyebrow.“And this conversation happened amongst all the spit-up and incoherent baby-babble, I assume?”

Lifting her chin, Amy gives him her very best obstinate stare.“A mother knows what her child is saying, Peralta.Even if he doesn’t quite know _how_ to say it yet.”

“Ah.Of course.”

Sidling closer, Amy wraps both of her hands around Jake’s waist, tugging him into an embrace that he is only too willing to fall into.“My point being,” she continues, her voice taking on a more gentle tone, “Is that you’ve been the greatest father to our little guy, just like I knew you would be.There is nobody in the world that I would want to do all of this with other than you, Jake, and I’m so excited that we get to have an entire day to celebrate just how awesome you are.”

There’s a sincerity in her eyes that makes Jake want to tear up just a little, and he takes a heavy swallow as his fingers circle around the loops at the back of Amy’s jeans, ducking his head down for a quick kiss.“I love you, babe.And I love the little family we’ve made together.”

A gurgle of agreement filters its way out of the stroller beside them, and Amy chuckles softly as she leans in for another kiss.“We love you too, Jake.So much.”

Another gurgle rings through the air, this one the more familiar _I’ve just woken up and need cuddles NOW_ sound, and Jake pulls away to bounce the stroller lightly in place, lifting the wrap and greeting his now-awake son with a grin.“Hey there, Mac-a-doodle!You’re awake!”

Tiny hands flail out towards Jake, the request for snuggles clear and impossible to deny.The careful cupping of Mac’s head and body has become second nature by now as Jake swoops in, lifting his son out of the stroller and covering his squishy face with a series of kisses as he sways side to side.“Looks like Mister Mac has woken up just in time, Ames - do you want to go have a chat with him, make sure you two are still on the same page?” 

Rolling her eyes, Amy nudges Jake’s ribs with her elbow as she leans in to cover the other side of Mac’s face with an equal amount of kisses, adjusting the collar of his outfit as she mutters, “Mother knows best, isn’t that right baby?”

Jamming his tiny fist into his mouth, Mac’s response is limited to a series of muffled babbles, but Amy takes it as affirmation regardless, throwing Jake a teasing _told ya so_ look. 

Plucking out two different cards and their matching envelopes, Amy leans in to squish one of her son’s adorably chubby cheeks.“Okay, time to get moving.Mac and I can come back and get Daddy’s present another time, can’t we, Mister?”

Tucking Mac carefully into his shoulder, Jake rests his left hand around Amy’s shoulders as she takes grip of the empty stroller, steering them towards the checkout as Mac googles happily into his ear. 

“Wait, if you’re a mother, and I’m a father …. Wouldn’t that mean that I’m technically a motherfuc-“

“Oh my god Jake, _don’t_ you finish that sentence!”

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for the terrible joke at the end, I just couldn't resist 😄
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this little snippet of their lives ... feel free to leave any comments/kudos! They're always appreciated, but never expected. Thank you for reading! ♥️


End file.
